The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announces $10,300,000 in disaster mitigation funding for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) in selected counties. All applicants must be a PHA created pursuant to Chapter 421, Florida Statutes, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The applicant must be in good standing with HUD prior to applying for funding from the Department. PHAs located in any one of the following counties may apply for funding: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, Sarasota and St. Lucie.

       Eligible activities are limited to the following, with the primary focus being placed on upgrading exterior doors and windows:

1.             Improving the strength of the roof deck attachment.

2.             Creating a secondary water barrier to prevent water intrusion.

3.             Improving the survivability of the roof covering.

4.             Bracing gable-ends in the roof framing.

5.             Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections.

6.             Upgrading exterior wall opening protections.

7.             Upgrading exterior doors and windows.

       Each eligible PHA is limited to one application submission. Applicants may request funding up to a maximum of $750,000 based on estimated costs. However, the Department will only reimburse expenditures based on actual costs which have to be supported with the appropriate documentation.

       The application cycle will open on December 12, 2007, and close on January 31, 2008. Applications must be submitted on forms required by and in the format specified by the Department and must be received in the Community Development Block Grant Program Office, Department of Community Affairs, The Sadowski Building, 2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100 by 5:00 p.m. on January 12, 2008.

       To assist local governments in the application process, the Department’s Community Development Block Grant Program has tentatively scheduled an application workshop on December 10, 2007, in Ft. Lauderdale. The workshop will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. PHAs eligible to apply for the funding will be notified of the workshop details as soon as they are available and are encouraged to send at least one representative to this important workshop.

       Application forms and instructions may be obtained by calling the CDBG Program at (850)487-3644, or may be accessed at our website: http://www.floridacommunity development.org/disasterrecovery.cfm, or obtained by writing to:

                Florida Small Cities CDBG Program

                Department of Community Affairs

                2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard

                Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100

       If you have questions, please contact Esrone McDaniels, Administrator of the Small Cities CDBG Program, at (850)487-3644 or by email at esrone.mcdaniels@dca. state.fl.us.

       Any person requiring a special accommodation at the workshop because of a disability or physical impairment should contact Mrs. Pat Harvey, Department of Community Affairs, (850)487-3644, at least seven days before the workshop to request the accommodation. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the Department of Community Affairs using the Florida Dual Party Relay System, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD).